Conductive ink compositions and methods for preparation of stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles

Abstract

A nanoparticle composition comprising a plurality of stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles comprising silver and/or a silver alloy composite. The stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles are prepared by a method comprising reacting a silver compound with a reducing agent comprising a hydrazine compound by incrementally adding the silver compound to a first mixture comprising the reducing agent, a stabilizer and a solvent. The stabilizer comprises a mixture of a first organoamine and a second organoamine, an alkyl moiety of the first organoamine having a longer carbon chain length than the alkyl moiety of the second organoamine. The first organoamine is selected from the group consisting of decylamine, undecylamine, dodecylamine, tridecylamine, tetradecylamine and mixtures thereof. The second organoamine is selected from group consisting of butylamine, pentylamine, hexylamine, heptylamine, octylamine, nonylamine, decylamine and mixtures thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A nanoparticle composition comprising:
 a plurality of stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles comprising silver and/or a silver alloy composite, 
 wherein the stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles are prepared by a method comprising reacting a silver compound with a reducing agent comprising a hydrazine compound by incrementally adding the silver compound to a first mixture comprising the reducing agent, a stabilizer and a solvent, the stabilizer comprising a mixture of a first organoamine and a second organoamine, an alkyl moiety of the first organoamine having a longer carbon chain length than an alkyl moiety of the second organoamine, wherein the first organoamine is dodecylamine and the second organoamine is octylamine, the amount of the octylamine ranging from about 40 mole % to about 60 mole % and the amount of the dodecylamine ranging from about 60 mole % to about 40 mole %, based on a total molar amount of organoamine added as the stabilizer. 
 
     
     
       2. The nanoparticle composition of  claim 1 , wherein the silver compound is added to the first mixture as a dissolved component of a metal-containing solution or as a powder form. 
     
     
       3. The nanoparticle composition of  claim 1 , wherein the stabilized metal-containing nanoparticle further comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium, copper, cobalt, chromium, nickel and mixtures of two or more thereof. 
     
     
       4. The nanoparticle composition of  claim 1 , wherein the stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles have the property of forming a metal framework with a conductivity of at least 10,000 S/cm when annealed at 60° C. for 30 minutes. 
     
     
       5. A process for preparing stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles comprising silver and/or a silver alloy composite comprising:
 reacting a silver compound and/or a silver complex with a reducing agent comprising a hydrazine compound at a temperature ranging from about 20° C. to about 60° C., 
 wherein the reaction is carried out by incrementally adding the silver compound and/or the silver complex to a mixture comprising the reducing agent, a stabilizer and a solvent, the stabilizer comprising a mixture of a first organoamine and a second organoamine, an alkyl moiety of the first organoamine having a longer carbon chain length than an alkyl moiety of the second organoamine, wherein the first organoamine is dodecylamine and the second organoamine is octylamine, the amount of the octylamine ranging from about 40 mole % to about 60 mole % and the amount of the dodecylamine ranging from about 60 mole % to about 40 mole %, based on a total molar amount of organoamine added as the stabilizer. 
 
     
     
       6. The process of  claim 5 , wherein the stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles possess an annealing point of about 60° C., at which temperature the stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles form a metal framework with a conductivity of at least 10,000 S/cm. 
     
     
       7. The process of  claim 5 , wherein the silver compound is added to the first mixture as a dissolved component of a metal-containing solution or as a powder form. 
     
     
       8. The process of  claim 5 , wherein the stabilized metal-containing nanoparticle further comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium, copper, cobalt, chromium, nickel and mixtures of two or more thereof. 
     
     
       9. The process of  claim 5 , wherein the stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles have the property of forming a metal framework with a conductivity of at least 10,000 S/cm when annealed at 60° C. for 30 minutes. 
     
     
       10. A conductive ink composition comprising:
 a plurality of stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles comprising silver and/or a silver alloy composite and at least one ink vehicle, 
 wherein the plurality of stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles are dispersed in the ink vehicle and wherein the stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles are prepared by a first method comprising reacting a silver compound with a reducing agent comprising a hydrazine compound by incrementally adding the silver compound to a first mixture comprising the reducing agent, a stabilizer and a solvent, the stabilizer comprising a mixture of a first organoamine and a second organoamine, an alkyl moiety of the first organoamine having a longer carbon chain length than the alkyl moiety of the second organoamine, wherein the first organoamine is dodecylamine and the second organoamine is octylamine, the amount of the octylamine ranging from about 40 mole % to about 60 mole % and the amount of the dodecylamine ranging from about 60 mole % to about 40 mole %, based on a total molar amount of organoamine added as the stabilizer. 
 
     
     
       11. The conductive ink composition of  claim 10 , wherein the silver compound is added to the first mixture as a dissolved component of a metal-containing solution or as a powder form. 
     
     
       12. The conductive ink composition of  claim 10 , wherein the stabilized metal-containing nanoparticle further comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium, copper, cobalt, chromium, nickel and mixtures of two or more thereof. 
     
     
       13. The conductive ink composition of  claim 10 , wherein the stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles have the property of forming a metal framework with a conductivity of at least 10,000 S/cm when annealed at 60° C. for 30 minutes.